In our working with abandoned kids here in Romania there is one underlying theme to what we do. Everything that we do is aimed at building relationships with the kids. We gain their trust by being there for them when they need us, by showing them a love like they've not seen before, and by pouring ourselves into them. The longer we do this the more they become attached to us.
Just by going to our classes with the kids we are able to build up our relationships. We show them that we are there for them and that we care enough about them that we left all that we had to help them. What we teach isn't nearly as important as just being there for them. It seems like it is working.
The kids always enjoy doing something new, and looking through a microscope at things they've never seen before is really exciting.
We use fun activities like this to get them interested in the subject and to teach them things that they probably wouldn't learn at school. The great thing is that by helping them we can get to know them better, it is a win-win.
Over the weekend the girls had another sleepover to teach the girls about relationships, abstinence, and STD's. Imagine what spending a whole day and night can do for relationship building. These girls can have good role models in us that they don't have anywhere else.
In the time of the girls sleepover I stayed with the boys in our transition program. We had a great time talking, watching movies, and playing games. Staying with them for a whole weekend sure does boost relationships. I can begin to see the personalities, likes and dislikes, and other things about them. I can then minister to them better because I know them personally.
Building relationships doesn't only apply to our kids. Over the summer we got to know a woman in the village, a widow of 24 years named Catarina (on right). The last time I visited her she told me about her eldest sister who is 90 years old. This time we visited her and found her other two sisters and one of their two daughters. It was a really fun visit, though it was challenging to focus on understanding what they said when there were usually multiple conversations going on at once. I had my laptop computer with me so I showed them pictures of us, which was a real treat for them. They asked me lots of questions about America, how it is different from Romania.
They couldn't believe that most people don't have their own chickens and other animals, instead they go to the store to buy everything. Houses being built out of wood and covered with plastic siding sounded really weird to them because in Romania houses are build with cement and bricks.
They also noted that I was not Orthodox but a Baptist, which is what pretty much everyone who isn't Orthodox is called. I said that though the traditions are very different the heart of my belief is the same as theirs, that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ through God's grace. They agreed and we had a nice conversation about God. Their faith was evident and was an encouragement to me that there are many faithful people here, even if they are the minority (which we can also say about our country).
That's what our relationships are really all about, to point people to Christ. The kids we work with and the people we know are precious to us and we long for them to know Jesus as their savior. We are so thankful for our call to do this in Romania. If you know Jesus as your savior then you are called to do the same thing, whether it is at home or abroad. We aren't super special people, we're just normal people following God's will for our lives. You can do the same!
Just by going to our classes with the kids we are able to build up our relationships. We show them that we are there for them and that we care enough about them that we left all that we had to help them. What we teach isn't nearly as important as just being there for them. It seems like it is working.
The kids always enjoy doing something new, and looking through a microscope at things they've never seen before is really exciting.
We use fun activities like this to get them interested in the subject and to teach them things that they probably wouldn't learn at school. The great thing is that by helping them we can get to know them better, it is a win-win.
Over the weekend the girls had another sleepover to teach the girls about relationships, abstinence, and STD's. Imagine what spending a whole day and night can do for relationship building. These girls can have good role models in us that they don't have anywhere else.
In the time of the girls sleepover I stayed with the boys in our transition program. We had a great time talking, watching movies, and playing games. Staying with them for a whole weekend sure does boost relationships. I can begin to see the personalities, likes and dislikes, and other things about them. I can then minister to them better because I know them personally.
Building relationships doesn't only apply to our kids. Over the summer we got to know a woman in the village, a widow of 24 years named Catarina (on right). The last time I visited her she told me about her eldest sister who is 90 years old. This time we visited her and found her other two sisters and one of their two daughters. It was a really fun visit, though it was challenging to focus on understanding what they said when there were usually multiple conversations going on at once. I had my laptop computer with me so I showed them pictures of us, which was a real treat for them. They asked me lots of questions about America, how it is different from Romania.
They couldn't believe that most people don't have their own chickens and other animals, instead they go to the store to buy everything. Houses being built out of wood and covered with plastic siding sounded really weird to them because in Romania houses are build with cement and bricks.
They also noted that I was not Orthodox but a Baptist, which is what pretty much everyone who isn't Orthodox is called. I said that though the traditions are very different the heart of my belief is the same as theirs, that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ through God's grace. They agreed and we had a nice conversation about God. Their faith was evident and was an encouragement to me that there are many faithful people here, even if they are the minority (which we can also say about our country).
That's what our relationships are really all about, to point people to Christ. The kids we work with and the people we know are precious to us and we long for them to know Jesus as their savior. We are so thankful for our call to do this in Romania. If you know Jesus as your savior then you are called to do the same thing, whether it is at home or abroad. We aren't super special people, we're just normal people following God's will for our lives. You can do the same!
4 comments:
love and prayers! beautiful visit you had!
I love the pic of Mark and the women...and what IS that animal at the end of the post?? Wolf/bear/thing?
AnnA- it is a puppy!
HAHA that is the largest puppy I have ever seen =]
the pics are wonderful!
i miss you both so much.
michigan love to you!! <3
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